skip to main content

Native Shrub Island

21 years ago

I'm hoping to create a native shrub island in my backyard. It's moist, part sun. I was considering kind of a formal layout, with Ilex glabra (one of the smaller varieties) in a circle, surrounded by some smaller perrenials, and then have a showcase taller shrub in the center. I could probably allow for something to grow to 10ft wide. I already have Calycanthus floridus in a pot. Would this be a nice centerpiece? Will any of these ideas work?

Thanks for your help!

Pam

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

janet_e
21 years ago
Sounds like a great idea! But you might think about using a different shrub for the centerpiece. Calycanthus floridus is nice, but I would use something showier. Some alternatives:

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) -- imagine the bright red berries in fall and winter contrasting with the green of your ilex glabra
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Cranberry viburnum (Viburnum trilobum)
Native azaleas (if your soil isn't well drained, then Rhododendron viscosum, if it is well drained, then R. arborescens, atlanticum, calendulaceum, prinophyllum, prunifolium...)
Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
pam_3
Original Author
21 years ago
Oh! Thanks for all of the suggestions, Janet E! I don't know why I didn't even think of Oakleaf Hydrangea...I love those!

The spot is pretty moist. I have a small creek in my backyard. A few times a year it overflows, and there are standing pools here and there. In ordinary weather I'd say it's not the best drained soil (kinda clay-ey). It also gets sun until 3pm.

Oh, and I have a couple of Clethra alnifolia "Ruby Spice" and an Itea virginica "Saturnalia" on the borders. I'm hoping to put paths by these, with the showy shrub island in the middle. I hope that makes sense!

Thanks for your help. I've already been googling everything you suggested. I LOVE the Rhododendron viscosum!
Pam
Related Discussions
Native/wild shrub
Q
Comments (3)
Third for Clethra alnifolia.
...See More
Three Underappreciated Texas Native Shrubs
Q
Comments (21)
I have some Amyris texana growing in my backyard in San Antonio. About 5 large plants (3-6 feet high, 3 feet+ wide as they tend to droop since the branches cant hold up the weight of the many leaves). My soil is mostly clay mixed with rocks. They moderately self-seed. They made it through the big-freeze/snow of 2021 and look like it never happened. I grow them as they are a hostplant for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly. Flocks of small birds like eating their drupes too.
...See More
Which native shrub to use?
Q
Comments (8)
I have very good luck with Salvia greggii. They take a surprising amount of shade, tolerant to the dry soil and they bloom well. I've filled a lot of difficult spots using volunteer seedlings and rooted cuttings.
...See More
Native Shrubs and Plants List
Q
Comments (4)
Hi Eileen! Sure looks like it to me--Danny? Others? We have a couple near here, across the road from us. But I'll come by soon, anyway, just to see the new digs! And to get one of them, too! Or two! :) . Oh. I have the BEST book everyone. It's called, "Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States." But we're not in the eastern native ecoregion. . . well, in NE OK, we could be considered a part of it, roughly speaking. Many of their shrubs and trees are also native here. Nonetheless, I had to actually do a lot of reading and research online before being able to confirm it. But if you're in eastern OK, this book could be very helpful to you, too. (Or if you're Danny in Arkansas! LOL) . What I love about it besides the comphrehensive profiles, is that it has charts showing the size of the shrub/tree in 5, 10, 15, 20 years or so. So helpful in knowing what to grow in our yards. Also, wasn't thinking of native plants I already have here--evening primrose, late boneset, echinacea, gaillardia, rudbeckia. . . probably many others. . . will add as we think of them. Oh, and as a side note. . . native shrubs are in nearly all respects, more beautiful than non-natives.
...See More
glantern
21 years ago
Pam,
If you're looking for native azaleas, then Lazy K in Pine Mountain, Georgia is the king. I don't believe that they still shipping for this season, but it might be worth the drive down (Callaway Gardens is nearby).

Will

Here is a link that might be useful: Lazy K Nursery
Elaine_NJ6
21 years ago
Remember that if you want berries, you need both male and female hollies within a reasonable distance. One won't do it.

Spicebush is also something to consider. Around here, swampy areas tend to have both clethra and spicebush, with ferns and wildflowers below. Don't forget the ground level if you want it to look natural.
pam_3
Original Author
21 years ago
Thanks for the link, Will. Definitely worth looking into. An extra excuse to go down that way and see Callaway, too!

After having a few sunnier days lately, I can tell you that the area in question gets about 4-5 hours of sun (10am-3pm.) I tried a bog garden here before, and failed. The cardinal flowers had too much sun, but my cannas loved it. I did pick up Hibiscus coccineus over the weekend. I thought I could squeeze it in there.

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I'm really looking forward to doing some more research, and getting out there, and doing some work.
Pam

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Native Shrubs for Year-Round Bird Feeding

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It’s not just about berries. These plants provide insects for birds and seasonal interest for gardeners

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Native Plants Help You Find Your Garden Style

By Oakley Gardens

Imagine the garden of your dreams designed with plants indigenous to your region

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Top Native Plants for the U.S. Southeast

By Falon Mihalic

For a low-maintenance and wildlife-friendly landscape, use Southern natives that withstand heat and humidity

INSPIRING GARDENS Native Plants Bring 10 Southern California Front-Yard Gardens to Life

By Annie Thornton

Rare plants, rain gardens and wildlife habitats are just a few of the features showcased on the 2016 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour

INSPIRING GARDENS Native Plants Inspire and Educate at NYC's Botanical Garden

By Paintbox Garden

Stroll through the new Native Plant Garden with us to get great ideas for plant choices and sustainability

GARDENING GUIDES Oh, Deer! 10 Native Flowers That Stand Up to the Herds

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keeping a garden amid hungry deer can be hard, but these plants should fare well

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Top California Native Plants, Trees and Grasses

By Debbie Ballentine

Enjoy a fuss-free, water-wise garden in the Golden State by growing plants naturally in tune with the climate and wildlife

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Top Native Plants for Northern California Gardens

By Debbie Ballentine

Enjoy a fuss-free, water-wise garden by growing plants naturally in tune with the climate and wildlife of Northern California

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Island Alumroot

By Annie Thornton

Shade tolerance and resilience make this California native a natural for planting under oaks and other canopy trees

GARDENING GUIDES 15 Native Flowers That Feed Native Bees

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

These perennials offer superfood to hundreds of bees and are gorgeous in their own right

Sponsored

More Discussions

cold stratification?

1